With the seemingly all conquering multicopter and its ease of use, Heli's have gone on the back burner.

The most recent "best attempt" has been the Blade 230S, which simplifies the mechanics down to a minimum while still providing a means to fly collective pitch including 3D, with a recovery mode for when it all goes wrong. Sneered at by many, its a much much better machine than they give credit for.

Now Blade are announcing that the 130X is being superseded by the 130S, which follows the same path of brushless power with motor driven tail and robust simple structure in a smaller lighter package even better able to take knocks and yet still come back for more.

If they have as I suspect achieved in that smaller package what they managed with the 230S, it will be a very suitable machine for indoor event and back garden use.

I'll let you know.......................

Now if they'd only properly update the Nano CPX in the same style, rather than the travesty they last produced to "update" it, we'd REALLY be happy!

1.Phoenix Simulator

2.Contra rotating heli are good to get used to the controls as they are very stable)

3. ................well it depends where you want to go, if you want to progress into inverted 3D style flying or general sport aerobatics then you want a 50 size heli or maybe a scale is your thing like an Airwolf????

Nutz and his little electric helis got me thinking that even with a small garden, I could get in hovering practice a bit more often.

So during a visit to SMC I had an attack of wallet weakness and picked up a T-Rex 450 SE. At least I'd sold my Raptor 30 first

Anyway, the assembly was quite quick but I've built a few helis before. The first thing you notice when you open the box is that it comes in a nice ally case. The trouble is that when it's built it no longer fits. Jolly nice if you want a case for your tools but how much cheaper could it be if it wasn't included??

Raptor 50 V3 Titan.......The build

OK this is the first Raptor I have built form scratch, I have stripped & rebuilt helis, including my current Raptor, but this is the first new kit I have assembled. I started building the moment I got home with the kit (no messing), I liked the way each section in the manual had its own bag to open & build. I built most of the heli in around 4-5 hours, the last hour was watching TV & building the control rods, dam they make your fingers sore.

The first thing you have to do is assemble the clutch bell, starter shaft & pinion, I found it nice that the clutch liner was already pre-glued to the clutch bell, this is nice as it does not stop you from waiting for the epoxy to dry before assembling onto the heli.

Moving on, the 2 half’s of the main frame where next up on the assembly line and a nice feature here is that the supports that hold the frame together are metal around the 2 bearings for the main shaft compared to plastic on my V1. So after putting the fuel tank, bearings, tail belt guide & clutch assembly in I bolted the 2 half frames together along with the servo compartments

The next item to assemble was the main gear, tail drive gear & the one-way bearing, the manual says to apply some one-way grease which Thunder Tiger did not provide in the kit. I will still assemble the whole heli but I will need to grease the one-way before flying or there is a chance the one-way will lock up!

The washout assembly was very straight forward but care was needed not to lose the small circlips that held the pin for the radius arms on also the manual mentions using CA for the self tapping screws into the plastic.

Pitch & elevator plate where nice & fiddly as the bag contained loads of small screws, bearings, pins, inserts, washers & rods of all different shape & sizes. I found the best way was to separate this small items into groups for each part of the assembly. The manual is good for giving initial setting up lengths of the link rods. After assembling the elevator plate, there is a new step for the Titan which is the push pull assembly. The Raptor Titan has a push pull for the pitch, elevator & ailerons which means there are 2 rods driven from the servo to another control arm for better precision. It also means more control rods need to be made.

After putting together the aileron levers & elevator arm it was time to put in the main shaft, now I would normally apply some lube here but I had no Triflow so I will have come back to lube this later. The Titan has a full metal swash which is very solid in comparison the older metal plastic types.

After in stalling the main gear assembly onto the main shaft along with the swash & washout/base assembly, it was time to put the fan on the engine. At first I thought the fan hole was too small/tight for the fan & I did not want to force it on the engine, after investigating the manual says that it is ideal to have a conrod locking tool for this task, so I knew a little brute force was needed. After attaching the fan to the engine, the engine & pipe were ready to be mounted onto the motor mount, and then the motor mount into the frame. I like the way the motor mount now has 3 points each side for the mount the be bolted to the frame, as on my old Raptor I lost one of theses bolts, which meant the engine was only being held in one side with 1 bolt (2 per side).

I chose not to use the Thunder Tiger skids even though they were a nice titanium colour, instead I used some after market ones that were on my other heli.

Next was the head assembly, I like the thrust washers used here as when the blades are turning the load is on the axis of the bearing so a normal round bearing would were quite quickly as there are not designed to be side loaded. You also need some silicon oil or Vaseline to slide the feathering shaft as the dampers are really tight. Once again don’t forget to use CA glue on any screws going into the plastic. The Fly bar is another bag full of small screws, bearings, pins, inserts, washers & rods. Remember to use thread lock on any metal to metal parts. I was a bit disappointed that the fly bar holder did not, nor have prevision of a head button (this will soon be sorted).

After the head is assembled it was mounted to the main shaft & some pitch rods made up.

Now it was time to build the tail section, quite a few parts & I assembled the blade grips around the bearings, but when I went to mount it to the hub I realised I had done it wrong & had to take it all apart. What you have to do is place the bearings on the hub, then secure the hub to the shaft with the long threaded grub screws & the lock them in place with the nyloc nut, then you can mount the blade grip half’s to the bearings. I then put the first half of the tail case on followed by the bearing, tail gear, pin & grub screw to hold tail gear in place on the shaft then the belt, other bearing & bolted the other half of the case on with the roller guide.

It was time to feed the belt through the Titanium boom & mount the boom to the heli. I then made up the titanium boom supports & screwed them to the heli along with the tail fins.

I got some SAB tail blades at the show so the went on along with the supplied Thunder Tiger header tank, but I left the supplied Titanium tail servo mount off as I am going to get a boom mount instead (saves readjust if I adjust the tail belt tension)

Next was mount the 4 servos in the servo frame, which was straight forward, then the pain staking assemble of a load of control rods, now do you remember I said the Titan uses a push pull system, it means there are a lot more rods than a standard Raptor. This took quite a while whilst watching Big Brother (what he hell is wrong with Nikki & Shahbaz they should not be aloud into society). Anyway Control rods made & installed I decided to leave it there for the time being.

Things left to do

Install on/off switch

Transfer Gyro & tail servo

Install some Quick UK parts

Balance JP Carbon main blades & install

Epoxy exhaust to engine

Adjust carb connection

Grease one-way

Triflow main shaft & tail shaft

Loosen ball joints with ball sizer toll

Install battery monitor

Get Canopy sprayed or decaled (not yet decided)

Set-up servos

Set-up Pitch

Give it a finally check over

I have included the manual in this write up & will post some pictures when I have a bit of time (just done a 16 hour shift)

http://www.acehobby.com/ace/PDF/HELI/TTR4853.pdf

So this review is from a new comer to RC helicopters,

Twister 3D, Fully 3D Aerobatic

Why I bought this Twister

I was buying my Prangster from Avicrft as I was just coming back to the hobby and had also always wanted to fly helos to, so Ail "i think" said try this helicopter out its great fun and also great for you / me etc. etc.!

Basic about helicopter

There are two type's / models of this heloicopters a Sport version and a Expert version.

Sport version has a Carbon brush motor,

Expert version has a brushless motor.

This helicopter comes like 80% there in the box and also 90% build, all you need to do is go out and buy a Receiver, Speed Controller, Gyro and Li-Po battery.

Pictuers show's what you get in the box and how its come's, also in photo in the box are 2 Li-Po battery & changer, Receiver & ESC and Gyro.....but they didn't come with the helicopter.

The Build

The build was as easy as you would think a ARTF helicopter would be, I had to attach the main rotor blades & tail blades with there bolts & nuts, screw on the undercarriage and attach the receiver, ESC and Gyro with double sided tape & ties.

It was easy, but I still needed to know the information / knowledge that go's along side of the parts e.g how tight the bolts should be for the main rotor blades etc etc.

The manual is only like 8 pages long, 2 pages with some pictures showing you where to put the ESC & Gyro etc etc, the rest of it is all about safety information & spare parts

I found this to be very un-helpful and would have love to have a better manual and a little more help from it, but I take it that is it all you will get with ARTF carft.

Photo shows, main blades & undercarriage all assembled, all that needs to be is to place the other parts on main body.

The servos, Gyro & ESC set-up

As this was my first fully 3D helicopter I did what I could and got all the servo leads in the right places in the receiver.......but the wrong way around doh!

I also didn't have a transmitter at the time of the build, which didn't help much at all .

Transmitter & trimming & Pitch / blade set-up

I had to go to Avicraft for this, as I have no idea in the world about setting up helo's, and still many never know . Avicraft set this all up for me as I watched and only touch around 15 to 20mins, before it was airborne just outside of the shop.

I ask the guy"sorry don't remember name" at Avicraft to set the transmitter / helo up for 3D flight as I was used to this from using Refex flight Sim, and he did, but in a very carebear way.

Thing left to finishes

Tie all wires up, so they don't get in the way of any moving parts,

Re-stick receiver to final place, so corkpit / canopy can be put on,

Tie up receiver areal,

Add padding to battery holder, so battery is held more firmly in,

Build / change / modified training undercarriage for this helo,

Some other very small things,

Will have to re-trim the helicopter again, as the CG has changed from moveing the receiver & Li-Po battery into right place, which we / I had placed for test flight.

Photo show's all parts on mainbody and is ready / has done a test flight

My first test fligth

I had a few fligths indoors after I got back from the shop which were only a few feet off the ground. I didn't put the training gear on , because it was not ready and I had been using the fly Sim & In-door /park flyer helicopter for some time.

I found I could take off, hover and land it with out any trouble, that's about all I could do indoors.

Finnished buidling

Helicopter is now finnished, all the wires have been tied up etc etc.

I've have done some more test flying indoors and have done my best with the triming as I can do. Will need alot of input from other before I can say it 99.99% done

Photo show's all wirer and stuff tied in place and ready to go...

My first real flight

Going to have to finish off the list and re-trim the transmitter before for first real flight outside.

Also have to have the training undercarriage ready to.... me thinks

Will need tons of tips, hints and help of other members, before its a 100% to go.

Helicopter sound

The bushless motor to me sounds abit like a jet engine to me, which is a very nice sound.......I think anyway

Final thougths

Well there was no way in hell that I could have build this, then set-it up on my own with out the help of Avicraft. So I didn't learn to much about setting up the servo rods arms & Swash AFR etc etc. apart from watching what they did infornt of me and listening.................If only I could remember it all

Edit :- If any1 wants to know the Specifications & Features of this helicopter, then I can bring the manual to the field.

And for this reason alone (lame excuse no 1 for spending more money ) I've bought a new heli and will be starting a review soon.

Someone better buy and review a shocky or I'm going to have to buy one of those as well